Catálogo de publicaciones - libros

The chapter describes the main characteristics of Ukrainian migration to Italy and the major studies of this migratory process, which is characterized by the key role of middle-aged women. Ukrainian migration is analyzed from the gender perspective and contextualized within the social, economic and political transformations involving Ukraine and Italy in recent decades. Furthermore, the main socio-demographic features of the Ukrainian presence in Italy are described from both the statistical and qualitative points of view, drawing on the most detailed and interesting studies of Ukrainian migration. In particular, the most typical profiles of Ukrainian migrant women are illustrated – “the migrant in transit” and “the permanent migrant” – to show the plurality of migration patterns and the role of structural constraints.

Immigration from Ukraine to Portugal began at the end of the 1990s without any previous relevant relationship between the two countries. It was sudden, intense, took Portuguese society by surprise and attracted a lot of attention from the media, policy makers and academia. In 2014, Ukrainians constituted the third-largest group of foreign nationals registered in the country’s official statistics. The present chapter draws on secondary data and primary data collected through interviews and surveys to offer insights into the constitution of this migratory movement and the settlement patterns of Ukrainian migrants in Portugal. In addition, it provides recommendations for a future research agenda on this topic.

What theoretical lessons does the Ukrainian case provide for the interdisciplinary field of migration studies? Drawing on extensive interview and ethnographic data from Ukrainian migrants, their families and community leaders in three countries – Italy, the United States and Ukraine – this chapter argues that theorizing the Ukrainian case pushes the boundaries of migration studies in new and important directions. First, Ukraine highlights the importance of transnational space in understanding nation-statebuilding processes. Second, it highlights that migration patterns produce different effects in the migration practices and subjectivities of migrants in the receiving country as well as different outcomes in the sending country. Finally, the Ukrainian case highlights the importance and the specificity of the sending state and the relationship between sending state and emigrants embedded in different migration patterns, challenging existing knowledge about migration and global processes.